I dropped my son off for his first day of first grade last week and felt lots of emotions. I thought this year would be easier; after all, he’s done it before. I cried. Becoming a parent showed me a different perspective of being a teacher. Before I had children, I saw my students every day, a class of 25 or so teen boys and girls. They were still children... READ MORE >
Last August, my boss and I traveled across East Central Illinois visiting rural school districts, pitching the idea of instructional coaching to district administrators. We explained the philosophy behind coaching and the logistics of a by-contract coaching program. The heads across the table nodded as we spoke, and occasionally they asked questions, the most... READ MORE >
I sat with my kindergartner as he practiced writing his sight words. “Ugh!” He said, exasperated, “I messed up. I’m not very good at this.” He was in his second month of school and was struggling to form the letters perfectly, as his teacher’s example showed. I explained to him that this is just the process of learning: we attempt something, we notice the flaws,... READ MORE >
I was reading through e-mails this morning and came across one from Jennifer Abrams. She is a new teacher coach, and she blogs about communication, particularly among professionals in school settings. (If you don’t subscribe to her blog posts, I recommend it.) In her most recent post, “Thanks for Nothing,” Abrams wrote about seeing the value in failure and... READ MORE >
I was at a local coffee shop over the summer with my family, and while we waited on our meal, I looked over their bulletin board. Lost dog posters and service flyers populated the wall. As I perused, I noticed a pull-tab service flyer for a life coach. It advertised one-on-one sessions to improve self-confidence, assertiveness, and organization. You can find a... READ MORE >